Tag Archives: winter

Ice and Snow, Photos, Troy's Blog, Winter

A Beautiful Frosty Morning

Frost covered landscape as the sun rises

An early March morning as a hint of light entered the sky, long before the sun would rise, I noticed something different as I looked out the frosty window. While the furnace fought another below zero morning I peered outside and saw a white coating covering everything outside of the house walls. Immediately I could tell it was the beginning of what should be a spectacular sunrise as the fresh coat of snow glistened from the suns rays. Do I head out with the camera to endure another cold morning or stay in the warmth and type away on the computer? Initially I was not interested in venturing out in the cold for yet another time as it was Saturday and I didn’t have anywhere to go but I did have a number of projects on the computer to work on. My mistake was glancing back outside one more time on the way to the desk and my plans for the day were changed. It was too beautiful even in the dimly lit sky for me to stay home. Besides, the camera was already in the chilled car ready to go.

Frost dangling from a cattail

It only took a few minutes to travel to a nearby park once I had all of my winter gear wrapped around me making each step feel like a flight of stairs. Along the drive I got lost in the incredible views surrounding me as an amazing frost coated most of the scene with ice crystals I didn’t recall seeing before in my life. Arriving at the park I saw the parking lot ahead of me was not plowed, but a few vehicles had entered creating a path so I followed it into a spot just before the sun breached the horizon. Quickly getting out of the car to grab the camera I headed to a place to capture the mornings first rays barely even noticing the cold surrounding me. Every step brought another unique frost crystal attempting to distract me from my destination for the sunrise. Once the sun had moved above the horizon I was able to turn my focus back to these beautiful ice formations. A few pictures told me my success would be very limited without a tripod to steady each shot on. Unfortunately, in my haste earlier in the morning I left the car without it so now I either needed to trudge back through the deep snow or continue snapping away holding the camera as steady as I could with my hands. Knowing I would not be happy with my photos unless they were clear and sharp I decided the tiring trip back to the car would be necessary and besides, in this cold the frost crystals were going nowhere.

Hoar frost flower

Returning as quickly as possible, the tripod was set up with the camera on top of it ready to capture this amazing frost covering trees and shrubs everywhere. Seeing these crystals through the lens magnifying them even more to bring out their incredible structures. I began to lose track of time focusing on each branch making up the hoar frost showing its multiple layers combining together in each crystal. All of that time photographing snowflakes has now become very useful in trying to capture the details of this frost. These ice crystals where much larger and more complex than most snow flakes though and photographing them close up made it difficult to keep each portion in focus. Thankfully it remained bitterly cold so the frost persisted throughout the morning giving a lot of time to try different compositions to capture the beauty up close.

Frost among the leaves

As I examined each ice crystal I could see the various layers as they developed through the night. How long did it take to create these I wondered. Are they still forming even during the morning light when they typically begin to disappear? Why are there different shapes along each branch? Some portions where rounded while others where more squared off. From a distance they appear white but when viewed up close they are clear while they no longer reflect the light that makes them look white. So interesting to study. As the morning continued on, the wind began to blow making the frost crystals more difficult to capture in focus but I continued on since this type of winter display doesn’t happen very often. I think the Northern Lights appear more frequently. Eventually I did have to stop photographing the frost to return home and work on projects which were waiting for me. Getting up before dawn and enduring the cold were all worth while just to experience such a beautiful phenomenon. Thank goodness for heat packs!

 

Ice and Snow, Troy's Blog, Winter

Playing in the Cold

It’s –27 degrees Fahrenheit, schools have been closed, the post office called off mail delivery, and many people have decided to stay home from work so what is there left to do but stay cozy inside and watch a movie or read a book? For me it just means going out and doing things that you can really only do in temperatures this cold. Since everyone was off from school we decided to warm up some water and see how long it takes to freeze in this type of cold.  Throwing it up in the air, it takes maybe a second before that water almost explodes into ice crystals and blow away. There are many videos available to watch as people do this but watching with your own eyes really shows how fascinating and amazing it is that water transforms at this fast of a speed.  The water has to be warm enough for this to work or it will just fall back to the ground and create ice balls instead.

A winter rose

With the sun being out and it being so cold I decided to experiment with rose flowers and see what it’s like to sort of flash freeze them with some water droplets and see what happens. I placed them in the snow to given this extremely white background to really set off the color which seems to be preserved in the cold. I let them freeze over a period of 20 minutes or so before taking pictures. During the winter I try to keep a camera in the cold so it’s ready all of the time. When it gets this cold I remove the batteries so they will keep a charge and put them in when ready to shoot. You can use a phone camera for a few minutes but it will likely shut down in cold like this and take a while to warm back up to function again.

Frozen bubble designs

I’ve seen some incredible patterns in bubbles frozen and decided to give that a try. It was not hugely successful but I did get a shot or two of patterns developing as the bubble froze. I was surprised how quickly these patterns developed and then disappeared. There was a minute or so to get a photograph before the bubble began to completely freeze and disintegrate. Something I may try at warmer temperatures and see if it last longer.

Another interesting thing to look at is frost forming on windows and doors. The patterns of these ice crystals are so diverse and abstract. I tend to get lost in a picture like this just following the different branches and seeing each design and how they all work together. Does one change how another develops and it takes the moisture away? Is there a difference created by very small temperature differences? Something I should try in the future is to breathe lightly on a window and see if there are differences in how hard I breath. Does it create different patterns or just fog up the entire window pane and freeze? Something for another cold winter day.

Frosted glass

Ice and Snow, Photos, Troy's Blog

Snowflakes Are Amazing

As the snow really started to pile up in February there were several opportunities to examine these little ice crystals and become mesmerized by their unique shapes and patterns. Often times I would be concentrating on things I needed to get done, one of which was shoveling all of this fresh snow, and if I took just a moment to look at a few snowflakes I was distracted for hours. I would drag out the camera and shoot away trying to capture each little detail of each flake among the never ending supply falling from the sky. Eventually the cold and the clock would end my session forcing me to wait until the next snowfall.

Snowflake edged in white frost

Once getting them on a computer I could examine each one even closer and study how they formed. What conditions were needed to create these? Were the conditions changing while a snowflake was being made? When multiple snowflakes landed together were they connected or just collided in the sky before settling down on my surface? I was constantly amazed at how different snowflakes look depending on what the temperature was outside.

Snowflake with many arms

Even within the same snowfall the snowflakes would change in appearance multiple times. Sometimes they would be large, branched crystals with ice drops frozen on the edges while other times they would be clear with amazing patterns and at different times they would be fairly non descript pieces of ice. In most forms they are fascinating to look at up close and very challenging to photograph because of their typically small size. Trying to get the entire snowflake in focus is often extremely difficult, if not impossible, unless the snowflake and camera are completely parallel to one another. Still, most of the time, they can be looked at in fine detail and their patterns can be interpreted.

Skinny snowflake

One of the challenges with snowflakes is trying to figure out if there is just one or if there are multiple snowflakes stacked on each other. Which layer is currently in focus? A slight adjustment in focus can be the difference in seeing the snowflakes detail or having it be slightly blurry. Once everything appears sharp than keeping the camera and snowflake perfectly still is required. Hopefully the wind does not blow while taking the picture. All of this needs to be done outside in order to keep the ice from melting and losing any of its detail. While snowflakes are a challenging subject, the results are often worth the effort for each one. Usually over the course of an hour I can photograph four different snowflakes so it is not a quick process.

Clear snowflake

Ice and Snow, Photos, Troy's Blog

Carvings Made of Snow

After seeing a beautiful sunrise shining some rare sunshine through ice sculptures, I headed to another location to see the creativity brought out using huge blocks of snow. They were not disappointing! The talent possessed by people willing and able to create amazing works of art from snow is so impressive. The amount of time and energy spent during the coldest time of year, and this year provided some brutal cold weather during the carving days, to show off designs was well appreciated by many during a brief warm up. On this particular Saturday afternoon the temperature soared above freezing for a few glorious hours allowing for a comfortable time outdoors.

In the tub

Near the entrance to the sculpture park there was a large Tyrannosaurus Rex guarding a maze created entirely of white snow while welcoming visitors to the creative expressions on display for only a few weeks. In front of the T-Rex was the St Paul Winter Carnival emblem, also carved of snow, declaring this area property of the winter carnival. Such amazing detail to be viewed for only a short period of time. It’s almost disappointing for these artists to put so much time into their creations and have them disappear a short time later. Continuing on around the area I came upon a sculpture of a cabin with someone lost in the comfort of a tub full of water snoozing the day away. The ability of the people carving to show such a 3-D depiction covering both sides of this wall separating outside from inside is so impressive right down to the scrub brush sitting in the window.

Scanning the refrigerator

One of the most entertaining snow sculptures, for me, was this young person staring into an open refrigerator while scratching their head. I really enjoyed many of the details from this carving from the shelves on the refrigerator door to the cabinets on the wall right down to the brick on the wall behind those cabinets. It reminding me of the numerous times I’ve been searching for some edible treasure during a warm summer day as alluded to by the shorts and t-shirt worn by this person entranced by what was going on inside this appliance. Walking around to the other side of this snowy creation you begin to understand the quizzical stance of this young person. The contents of this mechanical ice box appear to have broken out and where having a friendly gathering on the other side of the wall. That would make any of us stand their in amazement to come across such an event.

Inside the Refrigerator

Ending my time in the snow sculpture park was Snoopy as the Flying Ace a top his dog house. Who doesn’t love this iconic scene from a number of Peanuts episodes? Standing back and just watching as others meandered around these amazing works of art seemed like a good memory to make the return trip to my car with. Seeing all ages examining each carving, pointing, commenting to whoever they arrived here with, and photographing each one seemed like justification enough for each artist to do what was required of them to show their beautiful pieces of work for such a short time. While an artist often sees their work as they envisioned it instead of how it actually is, focusing on each flaw and how it should have been better, the spectators see such impressive displays of creativity and dedication that allows us to view each piece through our own lens and imagination.

The Flying Ace - Snoopy

Ice and Snow, Photos, Troy's Blog

Ice Sculptures

Every year St Paul hosts a winter carnival which includes a number of outdoor winter events including parades, competitions, snow sculpting, and ice carvings. This winter many of these events took place under extremely cold conditions but the participants are determined and came out in below zero conditions with strong winter winds to make their beautiful creations. On the last weekend of the carnival things warmed up along with a clearing sky so I made the trek to the Minnesota capital city to see some of these icy art pieces just as the sun rose over the Mississippi River. It was absolutely spectacular – a peaceful start to a rare, warm early February day.

Sun peaking through the ice carved sun

Several other people had the same idea. All in an energetic mood on this beautiful morning exchanging brief conversation as we rotated between the ice sculptures photographing them in the morning light. I’m always amazed at the abilities some creative people possess. Able to envision these sculptures in their minds and transfer those visions to ice blocks in such detail. All of this done in dangerous temperatures where removing a glove can result in frostbite in mere minutes with little sleep while chipping away at these ice blocks for 48 hours. As the sun continued to move above the horizon it lit up this sun carved from the ice making a beautiful backdrop for the rest of this sculpture.

The past and the future

Out of all of the amazing pieces crafted from simple blocks of clear ice, I think this one is my favorite. The details in it are spectacular as with all of the carvings but what caught my attention was the theme. A caterpillar looking through the glass at a butterfly which is staring back. The meaning of it is what really speaks to me. One seeing the future while the other is looking back in history at what it once was. Something I believe we often have the opportunity to do if only we take the time to see it. It can be seen in the generations before us and after us, with our own family and friends and in our ownselvs. That’s what makes these creations so amazing is what each person sees in them that is unique.

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Moving down the line, this was another one of my favorite ice carvings. The details where incredible creating a beautiful ice statue but my interest in watching herons makes this one more personal to me. Seeing the warm morning sun diffracting through the bumps and ridges of theses sculptures is so interesting. Another carving was of a dinosaur. I think it’s a velociraptor but I’m not sure. The snow resting on some of the grooves while others remain clear brings some great depth to the whole piece. Did the carver intend for this and plan it before beginning?

Face of a dinosaur

The final ice statue is called Aquaman Riding a Seahorse. This one won first place and seemed really popular among the viewers while I was there. Only the seahorse is visible in this photo as that was the portion that retained my attention the most. The clarity of the ice and the details of the head were so intriguing with the teeth, eyes, and snout. There were several other ice carvings and all showed amazing artistic skills. A fun way to spend a morning in downtown St Paul.

Seahorse which is carrying Aquaman

Photos, Troy's Blog

The Forms of Water

Winter is beginning to lose it’s hold on the North bit by bit allowing water to run freely again. Near this running water, the ice remains showing all of the different layers together which has hidden the lakes and rivers for several months. In some areas this ice is really quite intriguing as you look closer at it. Portions of it are solid white other parts are made up of a combination of ice crystals forming together. A question I have about these different layers is were they formed during the winter or is this the result of spring weather with freezing and thawing working together to form these layers? Soon it will all be gone. Replaced by rain and thunderstorms once again.

Smiling Ice

Photos, Troy's Blog

Creating an Ice Wall

On a cold winter night earlier in the week I was tormenting myself trying to decide if I should go out with the camera and attempt to capture winter images provided by a full moon. I was tired from a full day of work and really just wanted to sit back and watch a movie but images of moon reflecting off of a waterfall almost frozen kept flashing through my mind. All day long I had tried to figure out a beautiful location perfect for photographing under a full moon as this bright light can often provide amazing images especially on a snow covered landscape. It makes everything so bright and casts beautiful shadows across the snow covered ground.

A cold winter night as the full moon showers the ice and snow with abundant light

I was unable to come up with a good spot to go until I ran across a picture taken recently of a local popular waterfall. In that picture there was a lot of ice with water still flowing over the falls possibly giving me the opportunity to catch moonlight reflecting off of the ice and water with a great moonlight hue.  While still at home I kind of decided to forgo the idea of going out with the camera as I was tired and it was only 8 degrees above 0 Fahrenheit reducing any motivation. It was decision time. Do I suck it up and drag out all of my winter gear, load it into the car and drive to this waterfall or call it a night and relax in the warm comfort of my home? Agonizing over this for about 45 minutes and discussing it with my family I kept imaging the beautiful images that could be possible or it may all be for nothing if lighting isn’t what I am looking for.

Water crashing over the edge creating icicles all around it

Finally I dug a little deeper and lugged possible necessary gear into my vehicle and headed for the falls. Would I even be lucky enough to capture a moon bow? This occurs when bright moonlight hits the waterfall and reflects a rainbow. Upon arriving I quickly went to the falls to see about the situation. I was a little disappointed as there is a lot of artificial light illuminating up the entire area. This was somewhat expected as it is a popular place and people could easily get hurt if it was too dark. So now what? I decided since I was already at the waterfall I would at least get out the camera and take a few pictures before returning home. As is fairly common all it took was setting up the camera and time began to fly while I set up different compositions under the full moon light enjoying each part of it with the exception of feeling the cold creep in from time to time.

Impressive icicyle chandaliers hanging near the waterfall

As you can see from these photographs from that excursion, the ice and flowing water mixed with snow and light to create a beautiful landscape providing many options for great images. Unfortunately the moonlight was unable to penetrate through nearby artificial lighting but that didn’t change the fact there were many ice formations with great light to take advantage of. I may have to spend more time at this waterfall this winter looking for more intriguing pictures.

Water continues to flow under a wall of ice